One of the things that I am really excited about is that I am seeing young children in my classes drinking more water. I see the little miniature bottles of water in their little cubbies and that makes me so happy. I consult in school where they have great big water coolers with cups on the side of it so that children can help themselves to water at any time. This is great and helps children to acquire healthy habits around drinking water.

More schools are signing up for my “Prevent Childhood Obesity” workshops and are making learning more about this topic a high priority. They are taking the initiative in learning how they can incorporate more movement and activities that require moving into their curriculums. Healthy eating and drinking and making sure children are consuming nutritious beverages and foods are also of great interest.

I’m sure that parents are really happy and grateful about these developments and also want to do more. In addition to making water more accessible at home and making sure that it is the first option when children ask for something to drink you do have more options.

MAKE ICE POPS

You would make these the same way that you make popsicles, only just add bottle or filtered water. You can go on sites like amazon and purchase 50 count popsicle sticks. You can probably buy the molds there too. Places like Bed and Bath and Walmart carry them too.

ADD VARIETY WITH WATER BASED FRUIT

Many people choose this option especially in the Summertime. This is a nice way to include things like watermelons, cantaloupes and honey dew melons. It’s a great idea for children and adults for that matter to cut back on the amount of sugar they are consuming, so this would be a great option.

WATER TIME

A time of the day where you make sure you and your child will drink water. It helps with digestion if water is drank right before a meal. It can also be after dinner or a meal or just a specific time that you set for example 6pm or 8am. You decide what works best for you. Don’t worry about the amount, right now you’re just creating the habit.

KEEP WATER WHERE IT IS EASILY SEEN

In our home we keep stacks of bottled water in the kitchen near the door so when we are rushing out in the morning we just grab a bottle and go. So you can do the same or put some water in your favorite thermos to save on recycling. Remember children are watching you all of the time so when they see you drinking more water, they are more likely to do the same.

The ice pops are a great option and easy to do and doesn’t require going out and getting additional items once you have the pop sticks. So give it a try. This is something you can do all year long not just the summer. In fact it’s a great idea to get started now before the really hot weather starts so that your child will be familiar with this already. Having a water time is a way for you to stop and take a break, in addition to drinking water. Let me know how it turns out for you. If you would like for me to hold a “Preventing Childhood Obesity ” workshop at your school or parenting organization please feel free to contact me at dtarelle@pitterpatterfeet.com Have an amazing day!